Brand Smog Check Center Location — Glendale, CA
We are conveniently located near the Glendale DMV office. No appointment needed — just walk in for fast & professional smog inspections. Find simple answers to common smog check questions before your visit.
Read the smog check FAQs before your visit → See the full price list →Stop by — walk in
Brand Smog Check Center
1717 S Brand Blvd, Glendale CA 91204
Brand Blvd & San Fernando Rd · 8 min from Glendale DMV
Business Hours
Monday8AM — 6PM
Tuesday8AM — 6PM
Wednesday8AM — 6PM
Thursday8AM — 6PM
Friday8AM — 6PM
Saturday8AM — 4PM
SundayClosed
Getting here — what to expect
Brand Smog Check Center sits where S Brand Blvd meets San Fernando Rd, about eight minutes from the Glendale DMV. There is no appointment system and no online queue to join — walk in during opening hours and we take vehicles in the order they arrive.
Finding the shop
We are at 1717 S Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91204, where S Brand Blvd meets San Fernando Rd. Brand Blvd is the main north–south route through this side of Glendale, so most people reach us along it from one direction or the other rather than off a side street. Look for the flags out front — reviewers regularly mention them as the easiest way to spot us from the road. It is roughly an eight-minute drive from the Glendale DMV.
What to bring
Bring your DMV renewal notice if one was mailed to you — it tells us whether your vehicle has been directed to a STAR-certified station. If you are registering a car from another state, bring the out-of-state title or registration as well. Otherwise the vehicle itself is all we need: there is no appointment to show and nothing to print. We accept both cash and cards. The smog check is $59.75 flat, with the state certificate fee billed separately.
How long it takes
Most smog checks are finished in eight to fifteen minutes. Your result is transmitted electronically to the DMV within minutes of the test, so there is no paperwork to drive across town. A smog certificate stays valid for 90 days from the date it is issued.
Parking and where to wait
This is a drive-up station, so there is no need to find a space and leave the car somewhere — you stay with your vehicle and it is taken in the order it arrived. The visit is usually short enough that people wait on site rather than heading off and coming back for it.
When it is busiest
Weekday mid-mornings and mid-afternoons are the calmest times to arrive. Going by what customers mention in their reviews, Saturday mornings and Friday afternoons are the busier stretches — one Saturday visitor put the whole thing at about twenty minutes, which is the longest wait anyone describes. If you are coming near the end of the day, give yourself a margin before closing rather than arriving in the last few minutes.
Test-only — what that means
We are a STAR Test-Only station, which means we inspect and certify but do not carry out repairs. The separation is the point: a station that cannot sell you a repair has nothing to gain from failing you. If your vehicle does not pass, you take it to a repair shop of your choosing and bring it back to us for the re-test.
We are a State of California licensed, STAR-certified, DMV-authorized station. We test gasoline, diesel, and hybrid vehicles, and we handle out-of-state registrations and title transfers. If your renewal notice says you must use a STAR station, this is one.
Contact us with any inquiries
Walk-ins always welcome — or send us a note and we'll get back to you.